More on Dems Roberts Strategy

Ed Whelan relays a reader's take on how the battle against John Roberts will begin to shape up this weekend. Sounds about right to me, unfortunately...

"The Left's strategy for attacking Judge Roberts should come into clearer focus as left-wing elites gather for an American Constitution Society for Law and Policy meeting in Washington this weekend. Prediction: the attack will be two pronged, at least initially. The first prong will be a character assault, led by former Democrat VP candidate John Edwards. Edwards will suggest that the public hasn't seen "the real John Roberts." Edwards — of "Two Americas" fame — seems to believe there's always two of everything, and will lay the groundwork for a broader future assault on Roberts' integrity and consistency.

The second prong of the attack will be an assault on Roberts' commitment to civil rights. Look for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's Elaine Jones to lead the charge on this issue. You may recall that Jones was the lawyer who tried to fix the outcome of a federal affirmative action case, by delaying the appointment of a conservative judge to the 6th Circuit. Jones will focus in on Roberts' memos during the Reagan era on a range of civil rights issues. This is, of course, an attempt to relitigate the Reagan legacy — a legacy that the American public overwhelmingly supports.

My cynical view is that Jones and others know the attack on Roberts' commitment to equal rights will go nowhere, but will launch anyway in the hopes of energizing their political base for the 2006 elections."

The players might turn out differently, although I think that Elaine Jones is going to be right in the thick of it. I'm not so sure of John Edwards playing a central role, but someone will be doing exactly what the author says Edwards will do. If it is not a sitting Senator, it will probably be someone from outside Washington, DC. Within Washington, Roberts is well respected and liked. Heck, even Lawrence Tribe, one of the founders of the modern day Democrat obstruction game plan, likes and respects Roberts.